


The Last American Diner

by itsDragonTime



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Colorado, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Diner AU if that's even a thing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gay Keith (Voltron), High School, Humor, In Denver, Keith is a waiter, M/M, Mild Language, Modern AU, On Earth in the '90s, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Some angst?, like slowww burn, mostly just fun quips and happiness, mutual love and support is gay culture, not too bad I promise, very fluff, waffles are a thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-06-10 15:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15294492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsDragonTime/pseuds/itsDragonTime
Summary: Lance hates Keith. Keith is irritated by Lance. One day Lance happens to wander into the diner where Keith works as a rollerskating waiter. Through a lot of bickering, they discover that maybe they don't hate each other as much as previously thought.What do you mean no one asked for an AU involving Klance in an old-fashioned diner in Colorado in the '90s?





	1. Waffle Guy and Roller-Skate Dude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, I see you've found this odd Klance fic with an excessively snarky narrator. I know this AU seems totally random, but I assure you I've been working on this baby for a long time. It should also be noted, however, that this is my first ever posted fic, and I'm still figuring out how to divide up the story into different chapters as well as adjusting to feedback from beta readers, so bear with me if I end up going back and changing things a lot! Otherwise, prepare for lots of fluff, mutual comfort and support, and of course some waffles. Hope you enjoy!

_ God, I want some fucking waffles. _

Don't we all.

Welcome to the day Lance McClain really wanted some waffles, and it changed his life forever. See, Lance has a nemesis. No, he doesn't like the word nemesis. Antagonist? No, too clunky. Rival? Yes, rival will suffice. So Lance has a rival, and his name is Keith. Keith is in Lance’s Physics class, but even with seven other decidedly Keith-less classes, the mullet man has been on Lance’s mind nonstop. Which, might I add, is a rather irritating experience. Lance is currently brooding over his predicament while biking home from school, definitely not paying attention to where he's going.

_ Díos, why is he just so good at EVERYTHING?! I studied for that test for like a week, I even made my own flashcards! But no, Mr. Perfect doesn't even crack open the textbook and he still gets a higher score!  _ Lance huffs indignantly, turning on Pearl Street.  _ Plus that hair. I know it was all the rage a few years ago, but I never got it. It just looks like he’s never brushed it! Are girls into that now or something? Maybe one day that nest will come alive and start eating his head.  _ Lance giggled at the idea, knowing it was ridiculous but distracted by the image all the same. Then he very gracefully hit a crack in the concrete and fell flat on his face. Our hero, everyone.

“Ugh, owwww…” He whined, gingerly rubbing his cheek as he stood up. Luckily he wasn't too badly hurt, and his bike seemed just fine, but it was at this moment that Lance finally noticed what I’m sure none of you had already predicted, that in his irritated ramblings he managed to take the wrong turn.

“Shit! Ugh, whatever, at least I only turned one street too late.” He mumbled. Lance was clambering back onto his bike to head back in the right direction when he spotted the quaint little diner just a few feet from him. Specifically, the “Classic Waffles only $5” promised by a sign in the window. It was at that moment he realized what he suddenly wanted more than anything, what he simply couldn't go home without, for some reason, and what would start the greatest story of his life.

Those fucking waffles, man. No one can resist the call of the waffles.

So, Lance parked his bike outside the place, oddly named The LA Diner, and sidled on in to get himself some of that fluffy goodness that would surely distract him from Keith.

Now despite growing up here in Boulder and having this diner less than 5 minutes from his house, Lance had never actually gone in before. Not for lack of a good reputation, several of Lance’s friends had told him good things about it, notably Hunk, who had impeccable taste in restaurants. Lance had just never really needed quick access to fast food before, since his mamá already made homemade meals nearly every day. He kind of regretted not coming in sooner, though, noting the very comfortable booths and pleasant ‘50s decor, complete with a jukebox in the corner. As Lance sat down, a man came from behind the counter to greet him. He was tall with a solid build, and he had a tuft of white growing from the black hair that covered the rest of his head.

“Welcome to the LA Diner! Your server will be right with you. Would you like some coffee or something to start?”

“Uh sure, but no coffee, can I just get a water?” said Lance. The man smiled at him and nodded. 

“No problem, coming right up!”

As the guy disappeared into the kitchen, Lance pulled a menu from a holder next to him. His stomach growled and he scanned the page until at last, he found it: classic waffle plate, five dollars. Hell yes.

“Hey welcome to the diner, can I take your order?”

Oh no. Lance knew that voice. He  _ hated _ that voice. Slowly, Lance looked up from his menu to see, yep, Keith Kogane, with eyebrow raised and pencil poised above a tiny notepad. The most irritating person alive had found a way to ruin Lance’s waffle stop.

“AWE, COME ON!” Lance shouted, dropping the menu and violently flinging his arms above his head. Keith jumped back with a yelp, then glared at his rather rude patron. 

“What?!”

Lance ignored him in favor of muttering to himself angrily. “Geez, of course you work here, of course! The universe just  _ hates _ keeping us apart, I guess.”

Keith scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do I know you?”

At that, Lance gasped and scowled right back. “UM, yeah, The name’s Lance?”

Keith blinked.

“I sit behind you in Physics?”

Another blink.

“SERIOUSLY? We’re rivals! You know, Lance and Keith, neck n’ neck!”

Keith’s face twisted in thought, then recognition. “Oh wait, I remember you. You always groan obnoxiously loudly when tests get passed back.”

Okay, not the best way to be remembered, but Lance took it. And wait,  _ obnoxious?! _

“HEY! I groan with a perfectly appropriate level of volume. I’m surprised you can even hear me through that mullet of yours.”

At that Keith reddened a little and brushed at his bangs back. “It’s not a mullet...and what’s it to you how my hair looks?” Lance began to prepare a retort, but stopped as Keith wobbled a little and had to grab the edge of the table to keep his balance. Perplexed, Lance looked down to see that Keith... _ was on roller-skates _ .

Oh, this was too good.

“OH MY GOD you have to wear  _ roller-skates _ ?!”

Keith reddened immediately but raised his chin in derision. “It’s diner policy.”

But Lance was already on a rampage, cackling like a maniac. “Ahhhhh, I can’t believe this, I’m surprised it doesn’t come with a little apron and cat-eye reading glasses on a chain. Is it hard to move around? Dude, be honest, how many times have you fallen flat on your ass in those? Ahhh you look so silly!” 

Keith rolled his eyes but wobbled again, clutching the table harder. Lance made direct eye contact with Keith, and his eyes had a gleam that Keith definitely did not like. The boy took hold of the table that Keith was clinging to, and Keith snarled.

“Don’t you dare…”

Lance shook the table with all the force he could muster, causing Keith to fall forward and hit his head against it.

“OW you dick!” grunted Keith, rubbing his forehead. At first Lance felt kind of bad, but Keith seemed more concerned with being pissed than his injury, so Lance figured it couldn’t have hurt that much. Lance sneered and sat back in his seat, clearly taking the whole thing as a victory. He was nothing if not the height of maturity.

Keith straightened as well, touching his forehead one last time and repositioning his pencil above the notepad.

“Can I just have your order already?”

“Sure Mullet, I’ll have the waffles.”

Keith scrunched his nose at the nickname, but wrote the order down anyway. “Will that be all?”

“Yep.”

With that, Keith double-checked his notepad and skated away towards the kitchen, and Lance watched him, trying to think of other roller-skating waitress jokes. As satisfying as it was to see the ever calm and collected Keith Kogane wobbling around on skates, finding quips for it was surprisingly difficult. Oh well, Lance wouldn’t be needing them much since he’d just be eating his waffles and leaving, probably never coming back to the diner. Maybe he could tease Keith some in class, but judging by today, Keith wouldn’t pay him any mind and they’d go back to how things were. For some reason Lance hated that idea. Probably because he hated the idea of getting forgotten. Especially by Keith.

Then the boy in question was back with a big ol’ plate of, oh yes at last, waffles. Lance absolutely beamed, about to start thanking the waffle gods profusely before he remembered Keith was there.

Lance coughed, looking out the window. “Uh, thanks.”

“No problem, Waffle Guy.”

At that Lance snorted and turned to Keith. “Was that meant to be an insult? ‘Cuz I’m not that embarrassed of wanting waffles.”

Keith looked down at his notepad. “I know that! Whatever, just trying something out…” Keith shook his head. That had been stupid, just because Lance had called him Mullet didn’t mean he had to call him something too. Keith wished he were better with this kind of thing. Lance just chuckled, though.

“Alright, I’ll be Waffle Guy and you’ll be Roller-Skate Dude.”

Keith’s lips quirked up some and he scoffed. “Pfft, those would be the dumbest superheroes ever.”

“I beg to differ, my good sir!” cried Lance, raising his index finger and putting his other hand to his chest for flair, “Waffle Guy would produce infinite waffles to help stop world hunger, and Roller-Skate Dude would throw skates at bad guys! And skates are pretty heavy, have you ever taken one to the head? It hurts like hell!”

Keith laughed and shook his head again. “You’ve got quite the imagination.”

Lance laughed too, but then remembered that he was supposed to hate this guy, and quickly turned to his food.

“Yeah, well, whatever, I should start on these before they get cold.”

Keith stopped too and looked at the ceiling. “Oh, right, yeah you do that.”

As Keith walked away, Lance picked up some waffle and shoved the fork in his mouth. It really was delicious. He kinda hoped Keith would wander by him again though. He forgot to mention that Waffle Guy has all kinds of syrup flavors inside a syrup gun and that he can throw butter-bombs.

Lance didn’t have to wait long though. Keith came back in a few minutes to refill his water. And again to make sure he had enough napkins. And again on his way to another table. 

Just to make sure he got a good tip, of course.  

Eventually it was time for Lance’s check, after which the two fought about which was better, maple or blueberry syrup. When Lance finally left, it had been over an hour since he came in. He hoped his mamá wouldn’t get too upset that he was a little late. After all, he wouldn’t be making a habit of this. That was probably the last time he’d be seeing anything of Keith besides the back of his head. _ Good, _ thought Lance,  _ today was a drag. Stupid Keith. _

Keith was wiping down Lance’s table. He knew he still had several hours left of his shift, he’d be lucky if he made it home before ten-thirty. The piles of schoolwork waiting for him were not something he looked forward to. _And that Lance guy_ , Keith grumbled, _talk about annoying. This is why I don’t talk to anyone from school._

  
  
  


The next day, Keith came in for work at the diner after school. He put on his skates on in the back, said hello to Shiro while he was pouring coffee, and headed out past the counter.

Lance was sitting at one of the lunch stools, face hidden in the menu.

He saw Keith. “I’ll have another thing of waffles, Mullet.”

Keith wrote it down and started back to the kitchen to tell Shiro.

As he turned and hid his face from Lance, Keith smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats on making it to the end! Give yourself a pat on the back, pal. If you're just dying to see what happens to our boys next, by all means, please continue. Even if this fic didn't float your boat, though, would you do me a favor and leave me a comment with some feedback? Criticism is always welcome, and I live off those kudos. Happy reading!


	2. So, Is This Like A Thing Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance keeps coming into the diner. Keith is very tired. More waffles are had, and maybe we can get over that whole "rival" thing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhh my goodness, thanks so much to everyone who has already started reading! I posted this thinking it would probably go very much unnoticed and just be more of a writing exercise, but seeing how much people have already enjoyed the first chapter really inspired me, so here's the next one early! Please keep up those comments and kudos, each one makes me smile even if I don't reply. Now, let's see what shenanigans the boys are up to today...

Okay, so it’s a bit of a thing now.

Lance came to the diner that first day for waffles. Then he came the day after. And the day after that. At this point Keith has started saving a seat for him at the counter. Just so Lance won’t throw a fit, of course. Lance comes in and sits in the same spot every day without fail, always getting there right after school, and always ordering the same thing. 

He must really like those waffles, huh?

Lance and Keith have been a bit more friendly in their banter after several requests from Shiro, who Lance has learned is Keith’s manager, but bizarrely packs the boy a lunch every day. Lance has also become acquainted with some of Keith’s other co-workers, like a nice girl named Shay who only works weekends, and the terrifying trio Acxa, Ezor, and Zethrid, who are friendly but sort of threatening and really only hang out with each other. Apparently, they had a friend named Narti who used to work at the diner too, but she moved away.

“Wait, so it’s  _ not _ actually the LA Diner?” gasped Lance. 

“Well, that’s what’s on the sign, but technically we’re the ‘Last American Diner’.” Keith replied while refilling Lance’s water, as usual.

“Wow, dramatic. So this place is truly all that remains of the great American legacy of ‘50’s themed diners…what an honor to eat on such hallowed ground.” Lance said, looking around him in feigned awe.

“Pfft, shut up and eat your waffles.” Said Keith, lightly cuffing the side of Lance’s head as he skated by to another table.

“You know you love me!” Lance called after him. Keith responded with what Lance decided was an affectionate middle finger.

So yeah, things were good.

Soon winter break was on its way, and that meant before-break projects. Projects around this time of the school year were more about time put in than actually knowing much; a lot of dioramas and posters. Since Lance got home with plenty of time to work, he was getting by alright. Someone else, on the other hand, was having some trouble.

Lance first noticed it when Keith accidentally gave him coffee instead of water.

“Hey, uh, Mullet? I think I’m hyper enough, I don’t really need any caffeine.”

Keith looked at him, then down at his glass, and almost seemed puzzled as to how the coffee had gotten there. “Sorry, guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

Normally this would be a perfect opportunity for some teasing, but the bags under Keith’s eyes told Lance that something was amiss.

“Have you been sleeping enough?”

“Um, sorta. I mean, enough for me. I’m fine.”Keith said, swaying a little on his feet. 

Lance was not convinced. “Sure...listen, you should make sure and get some sleep tonight. You seem really out of it.”

“Since when are you so worried about me?” Keith quipped, apparently awake enough to sass Lance.

“Well, it wouldn’t be fit to have my rival sleep-deprived, then it’s not a fair competition.” Sniffed Lance, pouting and crossing his arms in front of him.

“What exactly are we competing in, again?”

“Not important. Listen, Keith, buddy, my man, you’ve gotta sleep. I mean what are you even doing, staying up playing video games? You know it’s almost winter break, the teachers are having a field day giving out projects, so you really don’t have time to be all groggy.”

Keith stiffened a little at this and turned to Lance. “Yeah, I know about the projects Lance, those are what I’m staying up all night for, not some stupid game.”

“Oh come on, the projects are time-consuming but you shouldn’t have to stay up  _ all night _ for ‘em. I mean, I’m doing the same assignments as you, and I’m decently well-rested. You must be doing something else.” Lance scoffed. Keith Kogane, taking longer to do an assignment than him? Unheard of. Keith never had any trouble in school. Lance should know, it was infuriating.

Keith bristled. “Just because you’ve got all the time in the world to watch TV and play your Xbox or whatever doesn’t mean that’s what I do.” The boy practically spat. Lance opened his mouth, surprised at the venom in Keith’s response.

“Keith...what time are you getting home?”

Keith sighed, berating himself. He never really talked to anyone else about his life outside of school. Hell, he never really talked to anyone besides Shiro,  _ period _ . Lance hadn’t done anything wrong by assuming, and now Keith had yelled at him and Lance was all worried... _ ugh, how does he always get a rise out of me? _

“I usually get home some time after ten-thirty.” He admitted. Lance looked positively affronted.

“Wait,  _ ten-thirty? _ ? Geez, no wonder you’re having to stay up so late! That sucks man, I just assumed…” Lance looked down at his lap for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck. “Can’t you talk to Shiro about it? I mean, the guy packs you a lunch, he clearly cares about you. I’m sure if you just asked he could…”

“No, I can’t ask Shiro about it. He’s already done so much for me, without him I probably would’ve dropped out or even gotten expelled. And the diner is short-staffed most of the time, and I need the money anyway-”

“Okay, stop.” Lance said, putting a hand over Keith’s mouth. His head then caught up to his hand being on Keith’s face with a  _ no Lance stop that’s weird _ , and both boys blushed as Lance quickly pulled back, trying to recover, “Uh, y-yeah but just stop making excuses to torture yourself! Shiro can handle letting you off a few hours early, and you know he’d be willing if he knew your health was suffering. And if he kept you in school, don’t you think he’d be disappointed to see your grades drop anyway because you were so tired you couldn’t pay attention in class?” Keith still looked uneasy. “Listen, if you feel that strongly, then you can just pay back those extra hours during winter break. Sound good?”

Keith was silent as he mulled it over, but eventually muttered, “Mm, I guess you make a good point.”

“Of course I do, I’m a genius. Now go  _ ask him _ .” Said Lance, getting up from his seat and pushing Keith towards the kitchen.

“Wait, like, right now?!”

“Yes  _ right now _ , Mullet! If you don’t do it now you’ll just weasel out of it later.” Lance said, continuing to shove Keith. Keith staggered into the kitchen to see Shiro cleaning the griddle. When his manager caught sight of him, Shiro grinned.

“Hey, Keith! What’s up? Oh, and hi there Lance.” Shiro greeted them cheerfully as Lance rounded the corner and stood next to Keith. 

“Go on!” Lance whispered, elbowing the other boy.

Keith shot Lance a glare, but took a deep breath and addressed Shiro.

“Hey, Shiro. Listen, I could really use a favor…”

As predicted, Shiro was happy to help. He’d had no idea about the amount of sleep Keith was getting, and even if Shiro had wanted to insist on Keith working late, his dad instincts refused and Shiro even forbade overtime until winter break. While Keith was very embarrassed about the whole thing, he had to admit, he was glad Lance made him say something. The extra time definitely made projects easier, and, if he was being honest, he _really_ missed sleep. Though Keith would definitely be making up his hours over break.

A few days later, near the last day of school until spring, Keith met Lance at the counter, as usual.

“Hey Mullet!”

“Hey, Lance.” Keith chuckled. He was kinda starting to like that nickname. “Waffles again?”

“You know me.”

“Lance is here!” Keith called to Shiro, not even bothering to write the order down or go into the kitchen to relay it. It was all routine by now.

“So, are you glad to have all those assignments finished?” Lance asked, tilting his head a little to the left.

“You have  _ no _ idea. That last one, Ms. Lefton’s ‘make your own magazine’ or whatever? Absolute murder. I ended up BS-ing half of it, it didn’t even have anything to do with the chapter! Does she get her jollies giving us busywork?”

“Wouldn’t be surprised, honestly. I’m just glad I got Mr. Poolmann for English instead of her.”

“Fucking lucky.” Said Keith, blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes as he wiped down the counter. He looked up at Lance for a moment. The boy was wolfing down his meal, but when he caught Keith looking at him he raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just...thanks, I guess, for making me finally ask Shiro for a shorter shift. I always get really tired like that before breaks since there’s so much more emphasis on the homework rather than just knowing the material. I never really wanted to bother Shiro with it, but I guess I just needed a little push. Literally.” Keith said as his eyes pretended to focus very intensely on the counter.

“Well yeah, if you never said anything about it you’d have worked yourself to exhaustion. There are perks to being rivals with a loudmouth sometimes.” Replied Lance, resting his head on a hand and also suddenly very interested in the counter.

Keith’s gaze flickered to Lance. “I mean, we aren’t really rivals anymore are we?”

Lance looked up. “Well...if we’re not rivals, then what are we?”

Keith breathed out a small laugh and raised his eyes to Lance’s. “You know we could be like...friends?”

Lance blinked and grinned sheepishly. “Uh...heh, yeah, okay. We’re friends then.”

Keith grinned back. “Yeah. Friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats on making it to the end! Give yourself a pat on the back, pal. If you're just dying to see what happens to our boys next, by all means, please continue. Even if this fic didn't float your boat, though, would you do me a favor and leave me a comment with some feedback? Criticism is always welcome, and I live off those kudos. Happy reading!


	3. I Thought We Bonded!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So they're friends now, and there have been a lot of laughs and a lot of waffles...but it's impossible to smile all the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so apparently I'm just on a writing high right now, don't expect new chapters this quickly in the future, buuut as of now I just had to finish another one for y'all. I hope you enjoy, as always, but be warned that this chapter is the start of some heavier stuff and may contain some troubling content in describing a panic attack, so please if reading that sort of thing is too upsetting for you, don't put yourself through it. A vague summary of events can be found at the end for you in this case.

“Lance seems kind of worried about something.” Said Shiro.

Yeah. Keith noticed.

Lance came in that day at the same time as usual, sat in his usual spot, had his usual waffles. Everything was going as it normally did. Except for the fact that Lance _ would not stop _ tapping his fork against the counter, and he kept taking out his flip-phone to check for...something. Keith had asked him about it, but Lance just blew it off, saying he was waiting on a call from a girl or something, no big deal.

“Yeah, he said it’s just some girl I think. I figure he’ll tire himself out eventually.”

“Really? Gee, must be some girl if he’s freaking out like that.” Shiro said over his shoulder. For some reason the idea made Keith flush and furrow his brows.

“Whatever, can’t be that great either if he has to wait up so long for her.” Keith scoffed. Shiro chuckled as Keith headed back out of the kitchen, water pitcher in hand.

“Alright Lance I got your water-” Keith stopped. Lance was outside the diner, on the phone with someone. He was pacing. And his face was getting red. And he looked upset.

Protective Keith mode, activate.

Keith put down the water and yelled to Shiro that he’d be back in a minute, pushing open the door to the diner. He turned to Lance and was quiet, waiting for him to get off the phone.

“Yeah. Yeah, no, Mamá, estoy bueno, de verdad. Simplemente no entré, no es gran cosa. Gracías, Mamá. Yeah, te amo también.” Lance hung up.  _ Okay Lance, keep it together. Just breathe. _ Lance was breathing. A lot.  _ Okay, breathe like a normal person, not a wounded animal. _ Lance was breathing faster.  _ God dammit. I need to fucking calm down, I’ve just gotta calm- _

“Lance?” Lance turned at the sound of his name. Keith was standing behind him, wringing his hands and looking at rather concerned.  _ Shit.  _

“Heyyy Keith, how much of that were you there for?” Lance asked, trying very hard to smile but also to get his lungs to  _ calm the fuck down _ .

“Only the last bit...you didn’t get into something?”

_ Dammit, of course the prodigy has to understand Spanish. _

“Listen, Keith, just give me a sec, I’m really not in the mood to have you make fun of me.”

Keith gawked. “What? Why would I make fun of you?”

“Oh my god just leave me alone for a second okay?! I’ll come back in for my check and everything in a few minutes, just-” Lance sucked in a sharp breath.

“No, hey, sit down or something geez!” Keith started closer to Lance, but the other boy shook his head violently.

“NO. Come on just...this is embarrassing enough, please leave me alone, I don’t want anyone to see me.” Lance was fully hyperventilating now. He could feel a hot iron behind his eyes. He couldn’t see. The whole world was blurry.  _ Come on, breathe _ . Lance reached out to lean on the side of the building. His stomach hurt.  He wanted to crawl away somewhere. But Keith was there. God, this was so embarrassing.  _ Mamá always tells me to breathe _ . He felt his cheeks getting wet, felt it dripping all over his shirt. Heard himself sob. He sounded like a little kid. Everything was too quiet and he was too loud. GOD, why was he so dramatic?  _ Hot. _ Why had he even hoped to get in?  _ Breathe. _ That internship was way out of his league.  _ Hurts. _ He wasn’t good enough to get in and now he wasn’t even good enough to handle it like an adult.  _ Breathe. _

Then there was an arm around his waist. Two arms. They didn’t squeeze. They just stayed there, around Lance’s middle, careful and still, as though afraid they might offend him.

“Lance, please just come with me. We can sit out back, behind the kitchen, just you and me. Even Shiro won’t bother us. Okay?” said Keith, quiet. He was standing to Lance’s back, but Keith was careful not to press against the other boy, timid and unsure if he was even doing the right thing. Keith had never really had to comfort anyone before, he wouldn’t know what to say. He worried that maybe this was weird and guys didn’t give their friends hugs like this,  _ agh maybe I’m being weird _ …

But Keith had seen those tears before Lance could hide his face. Keith had heard that tiny sob. And something in him just–needed to hold Lance. 

Needed to hold his friend while he cried.

Lance took in another breath, still shaky but a bit stronger than the hurried gasps from before.

“Okay.”

So the two went behind the diner. They sat on the ground against a wall and they talked. Keith still held Lance, very carefully. Lance still didn’t tell him to stop.

“These kind of happen a lot. These, you know, panic attacks.” Lance said. Keith nodded, having resolved to stay mostly quiet so he didn’t say anything dumb. “It’s usually something about school, but this time there was this internship at the lab, you know the one by Wild Woods Brewery? I don’t know why I had such high hopes for it, I mean I keep a good grade in Physics but only with hours of work. There’s no way I would’ve gotten in, especially as a junior, but…” Lance sighed and turned away from Keith. Keith gave the boy a small squeeze with his arms, telling him to go on.

“I don’t know, Keith. I don’t know why I get so worked up about the idea that I couldn’t do something. I just hate that I...I failed.  _ Again _ .” Lance choked on the last word. “I can work and work and work, and I’ll never be good enough. I’ll never be worth anything to anyone and I’m just  _ useless _ -” Sensing that his friend was going down a rabbit hole, Keith moved one hand to his shoulder. Lance looked at him and sighed. “I feel that way sometimes. Or I guess a lot. Like...I’m only really a clown to everyone else. I mean don’t get me wrong, I know I’m hilarious,” Lance said, posing with his pointer finger and thumb framing his chin for emphasis, “but...I always hoped I’d be more than that someday. I may act like an idiot sometimes, but I thought I was smart when it really mattered. But now it really matters…” Lance sighed, “and I’ve failed. Maybe I’m not meant to be making life-changing discoveries in a lab. Maybe I should just quit now and become a store clerk or something. I can’t mess up something that simple, right?”

At this Keith finally gathered his courage to speak. Pulling back his arms and turning Lance to face him, Keith held the boy by his shoulders and, with a stone face, said:

“What have we learned from  _ Legally Blonde _ ?”

Lance screwed up his face and burst out laughing. “What the fuck?”

Keith smiled. “I’m serious! That movie is relevant! When everyone else tries to reduce Elle to a caricature of herself, she proves them all wrong and shows that she has depth and some serious brains, and she can be smart without having to change who she is!”

“Are you comparing me to a sorority girl who chased her ex-boyfriend to another college?”

“I’m comparing you to a hero.”

“Dammit, fair point..” Lance snickered. Keith chuckled too, but turned serious again.

“You know what I’m saying though, Lance. Elle Woods didn’t start caring about school until after her undergrad, and she was still a legend. You’ve been working for this dream of yours for how long now?”

“Pretty much my whole life…” Lance mumbled, looking away. Keith gave him a light shake to bring him back.

“Exactly. Don’t let other people tell you what you’re capable of. Don’t give up on something after one hiccup. A wrong turn isn’t always a dead end.” Keith stumbled a little, trying to find what he wanted to say. Geez, maybe he should just stick to hugging. “You’re a person, Lance. Not a robot. And people are complicated.”

Silence. _When had Keith started sweating so much?_ _Oh my god please let that have been the right thing to say..._

Lance smiled, and took Keith in his arms. If Keith’s hugs were timid and careful, Lance’s were the opposite. Lance seemed to use every ounce of affection in his body. He pressed Keith to him, nuzzling into Keith’s shoulder so that Keith could feel his hair against his cheek. Keith could smell shampoo and chlorine. I mean, Keith wasn’t smelling anything. Duh. Because this was a bro hug. A hug between bros. Yep.

After several seconds, Lance finally pulled back. “Thank you, Keith.” They stared at each other for a moment, before both flushed and jumped farther apart. “Uhhhhh yep so thanks bro!” Lance coughed and punched Keith’s arm. That’s what bros do, right?

“Sure, don’t mention it.” Keith replied. “Wanna go get your check?”

“Yes please.” Lance squeaked.

As they walked back, Keith peered at Lance, who was trying very hard to maintain a stoic expression and look anywhere but at the other boy.

“Did we just have a bonding moment?”

Lance’s gaze flicked to Keith and he snickered. “Pff nope, don’t remember, didn’t happen.”

Keith rounded on him and gawked. “But I cradled you in my arms!” Lance positively guffawed.

“Oh my god dude calm down, you look so scandalized!” Lance said between giggles. 

Keith blushed furiously and coughed. “Shut up, you practically crushed me.”

“Oh come on! My hugs are world famous!”

Lance stayed at the diner a little after his check that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So essentially, Lance and Keith have a pretty heavy bonding moment. Turns out, Lance might have some anxiety, especially regarding who he is and what he wants vs. how others think he ought to be. Keith isn't the best with verbal comfort, but hugs might do the trick? Really, this is just the first time that the boys, especially Lance, have been really vulnerable with one another. Also, Elle Woods is a hero.
> 
> Congrats on making it to the end! Give yourself a pat on the back, pal. If you're just dying to see what happens to our boys next, by all means, please continue. Even if this fic didn't float your boat, though, would you do me a favor and leave me a comment with some feedback? Criticism is always welcome, and I live off those kudos. Happy reading!


	4. Just Add a Little Gay and I'm Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a sitcom-esque twist, there's a new girl on the block. Lance is very interested. Keith is not. Who will be victorious as the ultimate romance master? Does it really matter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so I know we got into some deeper stuff last time, and trust me there's more where that came from, but for now let's just sit back, relax, and enjoy a pointless but fun chapter of Lance flirting and Keith being completely over it.

“WOAHkay, who is that?!”

Keith rolled his eyes. He was disappointed, but not surprised by Lance’s reaction to the new waitress.

“Her name’s Allura.”

“Well how come I’ve never seen her around before?”

“Because dumbass, it’s her first day. And if I were you I wouldn’t even try it, she’s way outta your league.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Of course Lance would take it as a challenge. Keith turned to the other boy and ran his hand over his face. “Lance, no, why are you like this-”

“CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!” Too late. Lance was nothing if not competitive, and when he set his eyes on a prize there was no going back.  _ I’ll show you _ , he thought, rifling through the many pick up lines stashed in his brain,  _ the ladies love Lance _ .

Now, I won’t force you to sit through the second-hand embarrassment of watching Lance fail miserably at winning Allura’s heart for the next four days. To summarize, every line in Lance’s arsenal had been deployed and Allura was having none of it.

“When is he going to give up?” Allura huffed to Keith as they unloaded supplies from Shiro’s truck. Keith huffed right back.

“You don’t know Lance.”

“Yes, and I don’t want to know Lance, that’s the problem.” Keith chuckled. Her thick accent, which Keith had pegged as some form of British, made it so she pronounced it more as ‘lawns’ than Lance.

“Aw come on, he’s not that bad. Really, he’s a nice guy. Just a little overzealous in his flirting, it seems.”

“That’s an understatement. He hasn’t let me alone since my first day! You know he’s offered to carry plates for me over twelve times now?”

Keith rolled his eyes. “It may actually be my fault. I tried to tell him not to bother with you, but he took it as a slight against his honor as a ladies’ man or something. He’s definitely going overboard at this point, even by Lance standards.”

“Well you had better get it through that thick skull of his that I’m not interested, or I’ll smack it into him myself!” Allura said, having finished unloading boxes and heading back inside.

“Allura-” Keith sighed. She was already gone. He grumbled to himself, not any more pleased with the situation than his coworker. “If he doesn’t quit with that loverboy act he’s gonna get his ass kicked…”

But Lance was not going to quit the loverboy act. Oh no. He’d realized by now that Allura was not the type to fall for lines, but this next one was sure to work. Keith would eat his words that Allura was out of his league, for sure!

When Keith came back in, Lance was standing proudly at the door. With an enormous bouquet of flowers.  _ Oh, Lance _ .

Of course, Allura was already there, pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head. Lance’s smile faltered a bit as she tried to explain to him for the hundredth time that his moves would not work. Keith felt a pang of pity for the boy; as much as he hoped to discourage Lance from making passes like this, he knew the guy. He wasn’t really like this, he just put on a lot of bravado and sparkle, or...what was it Lance always called it? ‘Razzle dazzle’. Inside, he was a nice guy. A nice guy who  _ really _ didn’t know when to quit.

Keith decided to stay behind the counter and let Allura work this one out. Before long Lance was sulking his way over to his usual stool, and Keith was prepared with a fresh plate of waffles and a full water glass, as usual. He placed the tribute in front of a pouty Lance and clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder sympathetically.

“She didn’t want the flowers, huh?”

“Nope.” Lance said, moping. “Here, you can have ‘em.” The boy whined, tossing the bouquet onto the counter halfheartedly.

“Truly, I’m flabbergasted that your romancing techniques from page one of the flirting book don’t have Allura instantly throwing herself at you.”

“Don’t sass me, Mullet. And who says flabbergasted these days?”

“Apparently, I do.”

“Weirdo.” Lance snarked. “Now quit making fun of my masterful attempts.” At this Lance shot Keith his very best ‘do me’ eyes, just to prove his prowess. Keith looked away.

“Yeah, yeah. Emphasis on  _ attempts _ .” Keith sneered, placing both elbows on the counter in front of Lance and resting his head on his hands. As Lance replied, however, Keith’s eyes wandered to the abandoned bouquet and he moved to put it in some water. 

“Shut up! I’m making progress.” Lance protested, snatching his drink and aggressively sipping at it. Lance eyed Allura across the diner as she talked to some customers, notably not looking back at Lance. The boy frowned into his glass and deflated onto the counter once more. “Besides, since she’s definitely not into me…” Lance paused and raised an index finger as he added, “ _ yet _ , why don’t you just go after her? I’d like to see you do any better.” Keith whirled on Lance and raised his eyebrows as his friend rambled. “I mean she’s gotta like you at least a bit. Hey, you can even give her the bouquet instead, maybe she’ll actually accept if it’s from you,” he finished with a huff.

“But...but I don’t like her that way?” Keith said, tilting his head slightly and furrowing his brows.

Lance raised his eyes to Keith incredulously. “Oh come on. Have you  _ seen _ her?” He said, gesticulating wildly in Allura’s general direction. “She’s not just pretty, she’s GORGEOUS. Her eyes, the way she acts, don’t even get me started on that HAIR-” Keith snorted and hid his face with a hand on his forehead. Lance seethed. “What the hell are you laughing at? I’m serious!”

Keith started laughing more fully, looking Lance in the eye. The poor boy looked furious.

“Lance, calm down. I just don’t like her.”

“BUT HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE _ THAT _ ?!”

Keith’s laughter fizzled out and he actually seemed a bit embarrassed. “Jesus Christ Lance, maybe because I’m gay?” Lance scrunched up his face for a moment, mouth open slightly in confusion. Abruptly, his eyes widened in surprise and he flushed red.

“Ohhhh. Yep, I guess that would explain it…” Lance murmured, sheepish. Keith leaned over the counter a little.

“Wait, that’s not like...weird to you is it?” Keith said, shifting his weight and worrying at his lower lip. “Like...we can still be friends, right?”

Lance jumped up in his seat, shaking his head wildly. “OH MY GOODNESS no no no I’m totally cool with it!” He exclaimed, holding himself up with his arms on the counter. His face was a lot closer to Keith’s than he had previously calculated. He was shouting in Keith’s face. Maybe he should sit back down. “I mean…” Lance sat back down. Nice save. “Yeah, yeah I have no issues in that area. I’m bi, actually.”

Keith, who had been reasonably startled by Lance’s outburst, was having some trouble recovering. His eyes widened, and he quickly adjusted his posture so he was leaning  _ very casually  _ to the side. “Oh.” Keith rubbed his arm. “Cool, man.”  _ ‘Cool, man’, what the fuck? _

“Yep.” Lance replied, equally casual.

“So, anyway...do you wanna try giving those flowers to Allura again? Maybe she’ll take pity on you this time.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Shut up. You can keep ‘em, no good ladies’ man uses the same move twice on a girl.”

“Whatever you say, pal.” Keith responded, placing said flowers and their new vase back on the counter.

Lance didn’t take too long in getting over Allura.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats on making it to the end! Give yourself a pat on the back, pal. If you're just dying to see what happens to our boys next, by all means, please continue. Even if this fic didn't float your boat, though, would you do me a favor and leave me a comment with some feedback? Criticism is always welcome, and I live off those kudos. Happy reading!


	5. Operation: Break Into Keith's House Is Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since our boys have grown to become closer friends, Lance decides it's about time he came over to Keith's house. The latter is less enthused at the idea. This calls for some espionage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, I apologize most sincerely for this chapter taking FOREVER, now that school is back in session I am afraid my updates shall be significantly less frequent. But worry not, my friends, I am also going to try for longer updates so even if they take a while, you get more content! My tentative schedule is about one update a week, as I am desperately trying to finish this before season 8 arrives and my audience rushes off to watch the Dragon Prince. Anyway, enjoy and of course, there is still nothing that makes me happier than seeing your comments and kudos, and it is that fan feedback which keeps me from getting lazy, so keep it coming!

“But Keeeeeeith!” A very _ loud _ whine offended the ears of the boy in question.

“ _ No _ , Lance.”

“Keith, my buddy, my man, the roller-skating sensation, why on earth wouldn’t you want the fabulous  _ moi  _ to come over to your humble abode?” Lance continued to wail, splaying himself out across the counter between them and raising the back of his hand to his forehead in a pose of complete and utter distress. Keith leaned over and scowled at the pitiful, begging eyes staring up at him.

“None of your business, William Shatner. You’ve got your own house, just go there.”

Lance frowned as well, mocking Keith’s unsympathetic expression. “Aw, c’mon, I just wanna hang out with you more. I only ever see you at school or in the diner!” Lance whimpered, screwing up his face to be even more grumpy. Keith thought about laughing, but remembered he was supposed to be irritated and turned around to the coffee maker instead. Lance, refusing to let his audience escape, flipped over and gripped the counter, leaning even farther towards the other boy. “Look it’s not like I’m asking to stay the night or anything, it’d just be nice is all! I could bring a movie or a new game maybe, meet your family–”

Keith stiffened and swiveled back to face Lance, silencing him with a flick to the forehead. “Alright that’s enough, I’m not letting you come over to my house and that’s that. Now quit pestering me and pay your stupid bill.”

Lance stuck his lower lip out one last time and stared at the ever stone-faced boy across from him, but eventually sighed in defeat and started counting out the money. “Fine, you win this time. But I  _ will _ weasel my way into your home one of these days, just you wait!”

“If that isn’t the creepiest way that could have been possibly been phrased…” Keith snickered.

“Shut up!”

Now, Lance wasn’t one to take this sort of thing lightly, he didn’t really take anything lightly, for that matter, so he went to his chief strategists to devise a plan.

“Why do you want to break into this guy’s house again?”

Lance rolled his eyes and groaned. “I don’t want to break in, Pidge, I just wanna hang out! And his name’s Keith.”

The bespectacled little goblin squinted and tilted her head. “And I’m supposed to know him why?”

“Because! I used to complain about him all the time? I go see him every day after school?!”

“So you’re obsessed?”

“No!” Lance rested his head firmly on his fist in a huff. “Hunk, back me up here.”

“It’s the one he had a rivalry with, remember?” Hunk supplied helpfully.

“Thank you Hunk, you absolute angel. Side note, do you have anything for me today?” Lance asked, sidling closer to his friend. Hunk sighed and pulled out some Tupperware containers, shoving them toward Lance’s seat. “Yeah yeah, here you go buddy. You really ought to start bringing your own lunch.”

“Well, see, I would but–” Lance cut himself off, stuffing his face with the sandwich Hunk had made for him. As he began to snarf down some apple slices, Pidge shook her head.

“Anyway, so this guy you totally aren’t stalking.”

“Right!” Lance shouted with his mouth full. He absolutely did spit a bunch of half-chewed food everywhere, but don’t worry about it. “The point is I need you guys to help me help myself into hanging out at his house.”

“Have you considered maybe there’s a reason he’s not asking you to his house?” Pidge said, raising an eyebrow. Lance frowned, opening his mouth to respond, but Pidge continued. “All I’m saying is give it a rest for a while. You wanna hang out with him somewhere new? Just invite him somewhere else! Isn’t the ice rink opening up soon? Something like that.”

At this, Lance paused. He squinted at Pidge, leaning back in his seat and taking a considering sip of his Hunk-provided juice box.

“Hmmm, you make an excellent proposal my short-statured friend.” Pidge scowled and rolled her eyes. “Perhaps that is exactly what I’ll do. Alright, new plan,” Lance slammed his fist on the table, leaning forward and grinning dastardly. “Break into Keith’s house via fun and ice skating. Bingo.”

“Oh my god, shut up and finish your apples, you kindergarten problem child.”

Thus, Lance set out after school ready to ask Keith to go ice skating with him. As a bro. But alas, when he entered the diner Mr. Mullet was nowhere to be found! Which was pretty weird, since Keith is like, _ always _ at work on time.

Activating detective mode, Lance leaned against the counter and addressed Allura, imaginary fedora in hand.

“Where were you at 3 am on March 12th?”

Allura scrunched up her nose. “What the fuck?”

“Uh nothing, have you seen Keith?”

She shook her head. “No, I believe he’s sick today.”  _ Dammit, of course he’s sick today. _ Lance sighed. “Why? You need him for something?” Allura continued, sneering. Lance did not know what exactly warranted a sneer, but he sniffed and started towards the kitchen, choosing to ignore it.

“No, I was just curious.”

“Mmhm.” Came Allura. Lance kept walking, finding Shiro by the fryer.

“Hey Shiro, so Keith is out sick?”

“Yep, I’m afraid so Lance.” Shiro said, turning from his work. Lance hung his head, having his plan pretty much ruined. Unless…

“Do you, uh...do you happen to know where he lives?”

Shiro was, understandably, perturbed at the question. “I’m sorry, do you plan to murder him?”

“What? No no no, I just figured, y’know, he’s sick, he could maybe use some takeout or something.” Lance explained, grinning. Ooh boy, this was even better than ice skating.

Shiro grinned as well, though Lance was pretty sure he didn’t know about Operation: Keith’s House. Either way, Shiro relented and gave him the address. Of course, once his plan was set, Lance was out the door before the fries were done.

Lance was very satisfied with himself for finding a way to accomplish his original goal and intended to rub it very much in Keith’s face, but he wasn’t a monster, so he did get some takeout first. Besides, this way even if Keith got mad, he couldn’t say no to fried rice. At least, that’s what Lance was thinking as he was leaving the restaurant until he looked up and remembered, he was riding a bike.,

It was a very difficult trip.

In the end, Lance made it to the house with food intact, if a bit shaken around, and he held the bag as he rapped on Keith’s door.

At first, there was no answer. Lance was unsure about knocking again, not wanting to disturb Keith’s parents if they were home as well, but he saw no cars in the driveway and thus concluded he could harass whoever was inside as much as he wanted. He knocked again, a bit louder, but after a minute or so he was hammering on the door mercilessly. Finally, he heard some exasperated swearing and heavy footsteps from inside, and the door swung open.

Lance was about to snark at him, but the words died in his throat at the sight of a very,  _ very _ sick Keith Kogane. His black hair was even messier than usual, which was saying something, sticking up at odd angles and being barely held together by a haphazard hair band that was about two seconds from just giving up and dropping to the floor. He held a large blanket around himself, and Lance looked down to see him barefoot. Keith sniffled, his face flushed and eyes struggling to stay open, his expression the definition of annoyance.

Oh, _ right _ , he was annoyed at his unexpected visitor.

Keith’s eye twitched and he was clearly about to tell Lance to fuck off, but the boy on his doorstep sheepishly held up the plastic bag in his hands.

“Okay before you yell at me, I brought food. Truce?”

Keith’s gaze shifted lazily down to the peace offering, considering it. At length, he sighed. “You are a menace.” He said, gesturing for said menace to come in. Lance came inside, with Keith slamming the door and snatching the takeout, shuffling over to the kitchen counter and setting it down. Lance busied himself with looking around the house. It was about what he had expected; sort of messy and plain, with a narrow kitchen that doubled as a hallway between the living and dining rooms. The walls were cream and the floor seemed to be mostly carpet, and there were some stray jackets and socks hanging off of furniture. As Lance inspected the place, Keith fidgeted some, waiting for him to ask why it was so small or where was the TV. Or where were his parents.

But Lance didn’t say anything, just started to take off his shoes and jacket by the door. Keith’s eyes widened a little, but quickly came back to rest as half-lidded in irritation.

“So what are you doing here, Lance?”

Lance tilted his head back so he could see Keith, struggling to remove one arm of his jacket. “Well you see, McMullet, I heard you were sick.”

“I’m not sick.”

Lance swiveled, having finally escaped his coat, and pointedly looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow. “Keith, have you looked in the mirror buddy?”

Keith frowned and replied with an indignant sneeze. Lance chuckled.

“Whether you want to say so or not, you’re sick as fuck, and I’m here to save the day!”

“I thought you were here because you saw an opportunity to sneak into my house even though I explicitly did not invite you here.”

“Well yes, that too, and please allow me a few moments to rub in your face the fact that I am here, in your house, where you forbade me from going.”

“I never forbade–” Lance ignored Keith and began to do what looked like...the Hustle? In a rather braggadocious manner. Keith had to hand it to the guy, he was not aware the Hustle could be used as a form of mockery. As Lance suddenly switched into an equally arrogant Macarena, he continued.

“Anyway, I do actually intend to make your sick day fun, in fact, I insist. Would you rather sit here all day alone, without my company?”

Keith considered just taking the food and kicking the guy out, he really did. But as Lance wriggled his eyebrows and started doing the Jerk (how long is this going to go on?!), Keith sighed. Maybe an afternoon with Lance wouldn’t be  _ so _ bad. It might actually be...pretty nice.

“Alright.”

Lance stopped dancing, a cracking a huge smile. “Oh, HELL yeah! You won’t regret this, Kogane, we are gonna have the best night ever!”

Wait a minute. “Night?!”

Lance grinned even wider. “Uh, duh? It’s a Friday, we don’t have shit to do, I already talked to Shiro and got you tomorrow off, and snacks are on me. We are having a sleepover, man!”

Keith flushed.  _ Oh god. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats on making it to the end! Give yourself a pat on the back, pal. If you're just dying to see what happens to our boys next, by all means, please continue. Even if this fic didn't float your boat, though, would you do me a favor and leave me a comment with some feedback? Criticism is always welcome, and I live off those kudos. Happy reading!


	6. I Guess I've Got Some Walls Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's sleepover time, everyone! As we all know, there is nothing so lacking in drama and so free of opportunities to strengthen relationships as a sleepover. Oh no, I'm sorry, literally the exact opposite. Have fun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, there's been bonding, there's been panicking, there have been waffles, but it seems to me that it's about time Keith have his turn in the spotlight. Also, I told y'all this fic was fluffy, I bet you didn't believe me, huh? Well, prepare yourselves for some serious cavities from adorable boys being adorable and sharing blankets.

Ohhhh no no no, Keith did not sign up for a sleepover. That would mean Lance staying at his house. After dark. Like, sleeping together.  _ Well no, _ Keith shook his head, _ not, not like that but like, sleeping around each other and _ –ugh, it was gonna be a long night.

Lance noticed Keith’s apprehension, laughing breathily. “Uh, I mean, unless you’re not cool with it, ‘cause like, I can just go I guess…” 

Keith decided Lance being nervous was weird. He didn’t like it. Besides, while it was  _ a lot _ (Keith found himself blushing again), whatever, just more time for fun, right? So, he sucked in a breath and muttered, “No, you can stay.”

Lance positively beamed.

They started, naturally, with eating the food Lance had brought before it got cold. Keith was pleasantly surprised to find Lance had remembered his favorite place, Sushi Tora. Keith tried to tidy up the house a bit first, especially the living room which he had been using as a nest full of tissue boxes and empty chip bags, but Lance was having none of it, reminding Keith that sick people aren’t very good at housekeeping. While they ate, Keith felt himself at a bit of a loss for what to do next; he had never really had a sleepover before. Luckily, Lance came prepared, and they spent the evening watching  _ Home Alone _ and  _ The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly _ on VHS, and oddly pleasant combination. Lance seemed to know both movies by heart, whistling the entirety of the music to the duel sequence and covering his eyes every time one of the thieves was about to step into a hot iron or onto a nail ( _ Home Alone _ was a lot more violent than Keith expected). By the time they finished, it was well past sundown, and they somehow managed to end up snuggled together under the huge blanket Keith had wrapped himself in. The credits rolled, and Keith had no idea if blanket snuggling was normal for a sleepover, but he was too tired and far too warm to get up. Lance seemed to be in the same boat, his hands clutching the blanket near his chin as his side pressed against Keith’s. Honestly, Keith wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right there on his couch.

Lance yawned, his hair looking fluffy thoroughly tousled, and the spell was broken as he stretched his arms and removed the blanket, getting up to grab the remote. The absence of Lance’s warmth allowed pockets of cold air to get under the blanket, causing Keith to curl his toes and grunt in complaint. Lance chuckled softly, clicking off the television and taking the opportunity to stretch his legs out as well. The boy settled with his hands on his hips, looking at Keith.

“Well buddy, how’re ya feelin? Nothing like some serious snuggle time to clear up a bad cold, it works on my nieces and nephews every time.”

Keith pulled the blanket closer around him. “I guess I fell a little better…”

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Lance smiled, leaning closer to Keith and tilting his head. Keith snorted.

“Shut up, okay, I said I feel better.” Lance seemed satisfied, brushing his hair back with his fingers. “Thanks for coming over, or whatever.”

“You’re welcome. Now, do you wanna go sleep in your bed?”

Oh yeah. Keith wasn’t sure exactly what the protocol was for when it was time for bed, but he decided to just be honest. “No, I kinda just wanna sleep out here with you.”

Lance’s face turned a bit pink, but he took it in stride. “Alrighty then, let me go get another blanket. I’m assuming there are some in your room?”

Keith nodded as Lance started walking down the hall. And within about a fraction of a second, he had stopped nodding and bolted up from the couch. “WAIT UH, actually you don’t need to go in there I can go get them or something you just um–”

By the time Keith reached his bedroom door, Lance was already standing in the middle of his room, mouth wide open as he stared around. Keith facepalmed.

Every wall in the room was covered in drawings. There were corkboards full of random scribbles, paintings he hung up, piles of sketchbooks and loose leaf paper on his desk. There were containers of markers and brushes pretending to be organized near a lamp, but pencils were strewn about with no rhyme or reason. Even his bed was littered with unfinished pieces, his textbooks and backpack shoved in a corner. Yeah, there was a reason Keith didn’t invite people over much alright.

Lance scanned the room. He started walking towards the desk, looking at the corkboard above it with a sort of reverence. “Keith...what is all this?”

The boy in leaned on the doorframe and sighed, peering down at the floor. “I like to draw, okay?”

“This stuff is amazing, man. I can’t believe I never knew...OH!” Lance’s eyes lit up and he pointed. “It’s...it’s!”

Keith walked over to see what he was talking about, face going three shades of red as he found it. “Oh my god, I forgot I did that.” It was a doodle of Waffle Guy and Roller-Skate Dude, the superheroes he and Lance argued over when they first met. Lance looked at him questioningly, gesturing to the drawing. Keith nodded, and Lance carefully removed the red push pin holding it in place, taking it off the wall. 

“Holy shit, dude–can I like, frame this?” Keith snickered, taking it from him and pinning it back up on the wall. 

“I can’t believe you actually like these.”

“ARE YOU KIDDING?!” Lance rounded on Keith, waving his arms. “This is fantastic, I had no idea you were so good!”

“Come on, they’re just doodles, they’re not–” Lance stopped him, wagging a finger in front of Keith’s face.

“Oh, yes they are. These babies are special. Oh! Are these your sketchbooks?” Lance shuffled over to the Jenga tower of notebooks, crouching down and eyeing each one. Suddenly, he stopped at looked at Keith, cautious. “Could I look at one?”

“Uh…” Keith froze, rubbing his arm. He hadn’t shown those to anyone. Not even Shiro had seen them. He bit his lip, looking back up at Lance. But those blue eyes stared back at him with such sincerity, such genuine concern. Keith had never shown his sketchbooks to anyone…

But no one had ever looked at him like that before, either.

“Sure.”

Lance picked one off the top with glee, sitting in Keith’s desk chair and opening it in his lap. Keith came to stand beside him, Lance quietly admiring the first page. He flipped to the next one slowly, careful not to tear the paper, and keeping his hands off the ink. Keith smiled to himself, surprised that Lance hadn’t just ripped the thing open. He treated Keith’s scribbling like...well, like real art. Something fragile that he didn’t want to break.

After a few minutes, Lance started asking Keith questions about the drawings, and Keith found he enjoyed talking about them. He told Lance about the pencils he used, about whatever happened to him the day he drew a pineapple or why he felt like trying out watercolor that week. They continued on to other sketchbooks and, eventually, Lance didn’t even need to prompt Keith before he was smiling and explaining something there. Lance found his eyes drawn away from the page sometimes, looking over as Keith exclaimed how annoyed he was when he spilled water all over a sketch, and Lance smiled too.

They only stopped hours later, as Lance closed the last one in the pile, placing it gingerly on Keith’s desk. Both boys were laughing, turning to each other until they’re eyes met and their laughter fizzled out. They stared for a moment. 

Then Keith looked down. Something had been bugging him all night.

“Lance…why haven’t you asked about my parents at all? I thought you’d be weirded out since no one’s come home.”

Lance tilted his head. He furrowed his brows, then shrugged and made a noncommittal noise. “I just figured, y’know, it’s none of my business. You’ll tell me if you feel like it.”

“Oh.” Keith nodded. “Well, thanks.”

Their words hung in the air, and Keith moved away to sit on his bed. Lance followed.

“Hey, why haven’t you told anyone about”, Lance gestured at the walls, “this?”

Keith shrugged too. “I’m not sure. I guess...I just never thought anyone wanted to know.”

Lance sighed, letting himself fall back onto the comforter. 

“Well...I’m glad you showed me. I mean, I know I kinda found out by accident because I barged in here randomly, but…”

Keith chuckled. “Yeah, I’m glad I showed you, too.” Leaning back on his hands, Keith looked up at his ceiling. “Honestly, I wish I could do more of this stuff. There’s so much crap taking up my life; I have to go to school, I have to work all the time just to keep enough money for the house and the bills. I can do math and science just fine, I could do something that would make Shiro proud so he doesn’t have to take care of me anymore. All of that would be amazing, but…” Keith flopped down next to Lance on the bed. “But it would also make me miserable.” Lance rolled onto his side, blue eyes finding grey.

“Why?”

Keith’s eyebrows crumpled together, and he took a deep breath, as though it hurt to speak. “Because I hate it. I hate taking classes that I don’t care about for a career I don’t want, I hate having to work hours and hours at the diner. I love seeing Shiro, and I love the diner too, really, but I go there so often, I need to go so that this house doesn’t collapse around me and I don’t have to go into foster care...it’s too much pressure!” He gasped, shutting his eyes tight. “I wish sometimes that I could give it all up to just sit and draw in my stupid little books. Lance...I love drawing, there’s no pressure and there’s no one telling me who I am. When I do art, I’m free, and I hate the idea that I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to keep my head above water instead of doing what I actually want to.”

The two boys stared at each other, side by side on Keith’s crimson bed sheets. Lance held out his arms, and they met in an embrace.

“Keith, I want to be an astrophysicist. But, I suck at astrophysics. It doesn’t come naturally at all, in fact, I can’t even count how many nights I’ve spent feeling like shit and staring down at a textbook I don’t understand. It feels just like you said, Keith...it feels like I am exhausting myself just trying not to sink.

“I keep going, though, I keep spending years and years on this...this thing that the universe seems the insist I’ll never be, because I want more than anything to understand the stars. Someday, all this bullshit will be over and I’ll be able to just stare up at the sky and feel like I’m flying.” He pressed Keith to him, feeling the soft fabric of the boy’s black t-shirt. “You should have a moment like that too, man. I know I can’t understand exactly what you’re going through, but you should do what you love. You know Shiro would want you to be happy.”

“But, Lance, I wouldn’t have any money, I’d never make it–” Lance pushed Keith away from him, holding him firmly by the shoulders.

“Keith, you will make it. You can be an artist.”

And for once in his life, Keith believed him.

That night, the boys fell asleep on Keith’s bed, surrounded by pencils and paper, holding each other under the glow of starlight from the window.

 

The next morning, after a lot of blushing and disentangling, Keith insisted he was well enough to make some breakfast. Of course, he hadn’t been expecting a visitor, so there wasn’t exactly a gourmet meal ready to go, but somehow Eggo waffles and Sprite tasted just fine. As they ate, Lance realized he completely forgot something rather important.

“Hey man, uh, how do you feel about ice skating?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, before you ask, yes we are gonna find out what's up with Keith's parents. But c'mon, guys, cut him some slack, this is like their first time really hanging out! We gotta peel back those layers a bit...
> 
> Anyway, congrats on making it to the end! Give yourself a pat on the back, pal. If you're just dying to see what happens to our boys next, by all means, please continue. Even if this fic didn't float your boat, though, would you do me a favor and leave me a comment with some feedback? Criticism is always welcome, and I live off those kudos. Happy reading!


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